A character's weapon: please read first post !!!!!

[the wild]

in this thread and if you have completed any other threads then by now i suppose you have created a character profile or created a scene or story!
in most you would have included some sort of weapon affiliated with that character. but no one knows what weapon and why ...try to anser some of the questions like:

1. why that person has that weapon?
2. does the weapon have any centimental value?
3. does the weapon have any inate abilities?
4. what type of weapon is it, eg. sword or bow ?
5. does your character have any side weapons ?

also give a basic description of your weapon and possibly a name !!!!

(thnx) lovidge > *The Wild*

 

[The Ace]

Ok, I'm taking this from a slightly different standpoint, as I actually am my character during events.

As you can see from my avatar, I am an auxilliary soldier serving with the Roman Army in the 1st-2nd centuries AD (The reign of Antonius Pius).

My weapons are dictated partly by regulations, partly by choice and culture.

The spear (hasta) is a stabbing weapon used for reach, there were many types, this one "The Brute, " is uniqe in the UK, its short,(6ft) heavy haft and triangular section head were calculated to ward off or kill horses.

A legionnary (Roman citizen) would carry the pilum, a dedicated throwing spear.

The sword (Gladius) is a short (2ft) heavy-bladed weapon designed for thrusting (it was an offence to cut with it) and was the standard weapon of the Roman soldier until about the mid 2nd century. Mine is named as I am a barbarian auxilliary, but to a legionnary, his sword would simply be a tool.

A 6-inch dagger (optional) would complete the standard weapons set. This would be a multipurpose utensil, as well as a weapon of last resort.

As a Celt (from a tribe living in modern Belgium) I would be exposed to an entirely different culture, and my last weapon reflects this, a leather sling shooting stones (original Celtic) or hand-cast lead bullets (Roman military issue), the latter usually with insulting messages inscribed on them. No legionnary would be permitted to carry such a weapon, although some would recieve additional training as artillery crews or archers (increasingly common in the later empire.)

 

[Coolhand]

Okay, you asked for it so here it some gun-geek info on the weaponry of one of my characters. I could go on for pages about weapons but I will refrain…​

Character: Gallus Lucius Kerion.
Weapon: A pair of modified Beretta 92G 9mm pistols named Pax Deorum and Ira Deorum.​

1. Why that person has that weapon?
They serve as his main sidearms. As his specialty is close combat gun fighting, he can cause more damage with a pair of pistols than most people could with an assault rifle. For him, the 9*19 mm bullet strikes the best balance between stopping power and recoil control, allowing him to be surgically precise with his shots. The 92G has no safty catch, making it much quicker into action and decreasing the time between drawing the weapon and firing the first shot. Kerion considers himself to be the safty catch. "My weapons only fire when I want them to."​

2. Does the weapon have any sentimental value?
He considers them to be works of art that also just happen to be weapons.​

3. does the weapon have any innate abilities?
Both weapons have been modified with the firing mechanism from a Beretta 93R auto pistol to give them semi or fully automatic fire options via a selector stub. They have match-compensators on the barrels and have been rebalanced for use in their specific hand. The ejection port on Ira Derorum, the left hand gun, has been modified to eject casings to the left, away from the user rather to the right than across his body. They are capable of accepting extended 30-round magazines, and have custom triggers and hammers. They also have nickel plated finishes, ebony grips and Chapter engraving and decoration on the metal.​

4. What type of weapon is it, eg. sword or bow ?
Guns. Shooty bang bang guns. Bang BANG BANG BANG (sorry. Got a bit carried away there.)​

5. Does your character have any side weapons ?

Usually a six inch fighting knife in a concealed forearm sheath. Depending on the situation, Kerion also carries a Japanese Katana, a Native American Tomahawk, and sometimes both together.​

Ace, quick question about the Gladius. I knew that the Legion favored the thrust over the cut due to their sword+ shield technique, but didn’t know it was actually an offence to use the edge of the blade. How rigidly was that rule enforced and what was the punishment? Also, which pattern Gladius to you guys use?

 

[Culhwch]

I'm not too heavily into weapons, I must admit. To most of my characters, weapons are just tools...

But I have a question, Coolhand... Do the guns' names have specific meanings?

 

[Coolhand]

I'm not too heavily into weapons, I must admit. To most of my characters, weapons are just tools...

But I have a question, Coolhand... Do the guns' names have specific meanings?

They are Latin phrases. Pax Deorum means Peace of the Gods and Ira Deorum means Wrath of the Gods. The phrases come from the old Roman belief that it was important, via the practice of rituals sometimes involving bloodshed, to achieve the state of Pax Deorum, (keeping the Gods happy) and avoid Ira Deorum (putting the God’s noses out of joint), which would result in famine, earthquake and general unpleasantness.​

He basically did it as a statement of his own belief that "a little timely bloodshed now can avoid an ocean of it later."​

Plus, if he's angry with you, he tends to shoot you with Ira, whereas if it's just "professional" he'll probably shoot you with Pax.

He’s such a cheerful chap.

 

[the wild]

They are Latin phrases. Pax Deorum means Peace of the Gods and Ira Deorum means Wrath of the Gods. The phrases come from the old Roman belief that it was important, via the practice of rituals sometimes involving bloodshed, to achieve the state of Pax Deorum, (keeping the Gods happy) and avoid Ira Deorum (putting the God’s noses out of joint), which would result in famine, earthquake and general unpleasantness.​

He basically did it as a statement of his own belief that "a little timely bloodshed now can avoid an ocean of it later."​

Plus, if he's angry with you, he tends to shoot you with Ira, whereas if it's just "professional" he'll probably shoot you with Pax.

He’s such a cheerful chap.

omg you really know a lot about guns and i like the name and i think it would have been nice to mension the meanings of the guns but none the less its there >> i dnt think anyone knew that !!! have you done any other threads in this area !!!

 

[Aes]

I'm not too heavily into weapons, I must admit. To most of my characters, weapons are just tools...

But I have a question, Coolhand... Do the guns' names have specific meanings?

Yeah, this is how I am in regards to weapons as well. The closest thing I can think of would be any innate abilities, exceptional strength, or quick thinking in heated situations the characters might have.

In fact, out of the 4 storylines I have going around, nobody has any "special" weapons at all. One might use a sword, or a gun, or whatever at one point, and then something else further down the line. I guess I'm just not a fan of making inanimate objects into pets/companions.

 

[Talysia]

When I write about what weapons my characters use, I don't tend to go into much detail. I don't give weapons names, but I do like to research into unusual or little known weapons, particularly ones that have relevance to a particular culture or region. Like a couple of people have written, in my stories the weapons are merely tools, so names - other than what they are, ie sword, dagger, axe, etc. - aren't really necessary.

But that's just the way I write. Maybe in the future I'll have a storyline where one of my characters will have a highly personalized weapon.

 

[Duchessprozac]

Here are two of the weapons that populate my current world


Shade - A charcoal black short sword, about 18 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in width, with a matt finish to stop it reflecting light.

It was commisioned by Princess Arkha after completing her first contract as an assassin for the King's Hand and has been used to succesfully complete every contract since. Because of this, Arkha views the blade as lucky and will only use another another weapon if she is somehow relieved of Shade, something that very rarely happens.

Albastor - A great sword with a blade reaching nearly 6 feet in length and over 6 inches in width, including the grip and butt the blade is actually over 7 1/2 feet long.

The blade folds down into 3 sections roughly 2 feet in length when not in use and is melded together into a strong steel blade with magic which stems from the arcane enscription that runs along the blade's length.

The origin of the blade is long forgotten but it is rumoured to have been constructed for an Annkhammerand warrior known as Velus Vecin. It was recovered from Vecin's tomb by Storat Miras and has been handed down from father to son ever since when the son leaves home for a life as an adventurer and warrior.

Now it lies in the hands of Karmino Miras, the top assassin in the Assassin's Guild and he owes a lot of it to the power of Albastor.

The blade has several inate abilities, one of which is the magical seal which keeps melds the sections together as if the blade had been forged as a single peice. The blade is magically sharp, also. able to cut through metal and stone as if it were flesh. On top of this, the blade is capable of sending waves of energy which rush along the enscription and launch forth from the tip.

 

[Coolhand]

When I write about what weapons my characters use, I don't tend to go into much detail. I don't give weapons names, but I do like to research into unusual or little known weapons, particularly ones that have relevance to a particular culture or region. Like a couple of people have written, in my stories the weapons are merely tools, so names - other than what they are, ie sword, dagger, axe, etc. - aren't really necessary.

But that's just the way I write. Maybe in the future I'll have a storyline where one of my characters will have a highly personalized weapon.

Yeah, it basiclly comes down to the characters and the culture that they inhabit, I think. Quite a few of mine come from a culture that ascribes personal honour to weapons, and so it's logical that they would name their weapons and view them as more than just tools. Conversely, I do have other characters that don't come from that culture, and to them a gun is just a gun, and a knife is just a knife.

I also think it depends on what kind of fiction you're writing. If it's very action oriented then details about the weapons not only help you plan the fights a little better, but as a reader and lover of action I find it sucks me in more to know that someone is using a SigSauer P226 9mm pistol with an extended magazine and hollow point rounds rather than just "a gun".

But then, I am a freak.

 

[Pyan]

Yeah, it basically comes down to the characters and the culture that they inhabit, I think. Quite a few of mine come from a culture that ascribes personal honour to weapons.

You're in good company there, Coolhand. Most of Tolkien's swords had names, and at the other end of the SF/F spectrum, the chief character's knives in Heinlein's Tunnel in the Sky were also named, not to mention Oscar Gordon's sword in Glory Road, by the same author.

 

[Rider of scaled wing]

In the story i'm currently writing, my character goes through several weapons... shields, and other pieces of armor. they're all tools.

 

[The Ace]

In answer to your question Coolhand, we use the Pompeii pattern gladius with straight edges and only the last couple of inches converging into a point. The older Mainz pattern (the true 'Spanish sword') with its pronounced waist and long, tapering point was far more difficult to mass-produce. In training, use of the edge could lead to confiscation of the belt (worked on 2 levels a) only soldiers had the priviledge of wearing the belt. b) the unbelted tunic fell to the wearer's calves, rather than mid-thigh, making him look like a slave) replacement of the daily wheat ration with barley, and/or a flogging. Use of the edge in combat would put your comrades' lives at risk and could be punished by death. Centurions and Optios, would keep an eye out for just this kind of offence and to save paperwork, certainly in training, either would simply beat the offender senseless.

 

[Duchessprozac]

In my current story, most of the characters see the weapons as simple tools but there are two characters with whom have an attachment with their weapons. Both of these are mentioned in a previous post and I think it comes down to the indiviual character's beliefs. I actually have a short discussion in my story where one of the characters cannot understand why The Princess Arkha named her blade and she reples that she considers her an extension of herself and that she wouldn't consider naming 'any old pointy bit of metal'

 

[Culhwch]

Use of the edge in combat would put your comrades' lives at risk and could be punished by death.

Is this because going for a big hack or slash would make a breach in the shield wall? Whereas I guess you can safely stab from behind a vertical shield, locked tight with your comrades... All very interesting, in any case. Something I'll store away for use sometime later, I'm sure.

 

[Coolhand]

. I actually have a short discussion in my story where one of the characters cannot understand why The Princess Arkha named her blade and she reples that she considers her an extension of herself and that she wouldn't consider naming 'any old pointy bit of metal'

I also think that customized weapons built specifically for a person have "personality." Whereas a standard, mass produced sword might be just a generic tool, a one off unique design tends to stand out a little more, and people tend to anthropomorphosise them.

I like the thought that’s gone into Shade’s design. So often in books you see assassins just use generic weapons, so it’s cool that you’ve got a stealth, non reflective blade on that sword. See, those are the kind of details I love in weapon description. It makes things come alive.

Is Shade used on its own or does Arkha use a shield or second weapon in her other hand? Or is the other hand left free for grabbing/trapping/locking her opponent?

 

[Duchessprozac]

Arkha keeps her left hand free for grabbing/trapping etc, she also keeps it free as she is very much an acrobatic assassin who doesn't like to be weighed down by excess gear, she very much a dart from the shadows, make her kill and dive straight back into hiding, kind of character.

 

[goddess_of_hades]

Character: Dorchadas (I'm sure some of you have heard of her by now. She's also known as Anaroch Ciocras.)

Dorchadas is a Shifter, meaning she can change into anyone and anything she pleases, so she usually chooses weapons in order to stay in character with whoever it is she is pretending to be. However, she does have one weapon she brings with her into all of her forms. It is an obsidian knife with intricate silver "bump-up" patterns on the handle. She takes it with her because it is easy to hide, but very sharp. If you want to know how sharp, just know that an obsidian dagger used by our ancient ancestors makes a better, cleaner cut than the metal razors used by medical doctors. That's why surgeons are starting to use obsidian now, and have been for awhile, I think. Other than practical reasons, there is another aspect to why she carries it with her. An obsidian dagger is the symbol for the Abhar Empire, which was overthrown five hundred years ago. Anaroch happened to discover a missing link in the family trees and found out that by all rights she should be the heir to the Empire, was it still in power, and not her cousin. Unfortunately, she was never able to prove it. The dagger has no innate abilities of its own, other than those provided by the materials from which it was made. Obsidian is very hard and stays sharp for thousands of years (literally). Silver is the material most absorbent of magic, so she can put some of her own magic into it to make it even more effective. Other than that, Dorchadas changes weapons frequently, so that's pretty much it.

 

[the wild]

Here are two of the weapons that populate my current world


Shade - A charcoal black short sword, about 18 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in width, with a matt finish to stop it reflecting light.

It was commisioned by Princess Arkha after completing her first contract as an assassin for the King's Hand and has been used to succesfully complete every contract since. Because of this, Arkha views the blade as lucky and will only use another another weapon if she is somehow relieved of Shade, something that very rarely happens.

Albastor - A great sword with a blade reaching nearly 6 feet in length and over 6 inches in width, including the grip and butt the blade is actually over 7 1/2 feet long.

The blade folds down into 3 sections roughly 2 feet in length when not in use and is melded together into a strong steel blade with magic which stems from the arcane enscription that runs along the blade's length.

The origin of the blade is long forgotten but it is rumoured to have been constructed for an Annkhammerand warrior known as Velus Vecin. It was recovered from Vecin's tomb by Storat Miras and has been handed down from father to son ever since when the son leaves home for a life as an adventurer and warrior.

Now it lies in the hands of Karmino Miras, the top assassin in the Assassin's Guild and he owes a lot of it to the power of Albastor.

The blade has several inate abilities, one of which is the magical seal which keeps melds the sections together as if the blade had been forged as a single peice. The blade is magically sharp, also. able to cut through metal and stone as if it were flesh. On top of this, the blade is capable of sending waves of energy which rush along the enscription and launch forth from the tip.

omg u so have to finish this book i think this is really good !!! u have a lot of detail and if u have any finished scripts of the stories could u please send them to me plzplzplz at gregory_smith_@hotmail.co.uk !! thnx lovidge xx